Hydraulic elevator for dredging purposes.



UNITED STATES' Patented November 10, 1903.

Y PATENT j OFFICE.

HYDRAULIC ELEVATOR FOR DREDGING PURPOSES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 743,979, datedNovember. 10, 1903.

Application filed February Y17, 1903. Serial No. 143,850. (No model.) Y

To all whom `it may concern,.-

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cured thereto in operative position.

Be it known that I, BENTON FLOOD, a citizen of the United States,residing at Los An, geles, in the county of Los Angeles and State ofCalifornia, have invented new and useful Improvements in HydraulicElevators for Dredging Purposes, of which the following is aspecification.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple and reliable devicefor dredging in which the elevator-pipe will be free of obstructionswhich would interfere with the uninterrupted passage therethrough of thesubstance operated on. I accomplish this object by means of the devicedescribed herein and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure1 is a central longitudinal section of my hydraulic elevator. Fig. 2 isan elevation of a portion f a scow with my elevator se- Fig. 3 is a sideelevation of the injector-nozzle. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the Ybranch.

I n the drawings, A represents the elevatorpipe, A the Y branch of myelevator, which is preferably made of cast-iron, the suction branch A"thereof extending therethrough, preferably in a Astraight line, and theinjector branch A'" communicating therewith at an acute angle, as shown.Centrally disposed in the injector branch A" is the re movableinjector-nozzle C. The discharge end of this nozzle (when the nozzle isin place in the injector branch) is preferably about opposite the pointof junction between the two branches and should be so contracted at thedischarge end thereof as to give the'water forced therethrough arelatively greater velocity at the point of discharge therefrom than atany other point to create a suction through the suction branch. Theinjector-nozzle is provided at one end with an annular ila-nge C,adapted to t into an annular groove in the injector branch A"". To theend of the injector branch I have bolted the return-bend D by bolts d,passing through an annular flange D on the bend. Between the flanges Con the removable nozzle and the flange D' on the return-bend D,I haveinterposed a ilexible gasket E, 'by means of which a water-tightconnection is made between the injector brauch and the return-bend. Thereturnbend D is screw-threaded at one end for connection therewith ofpipe B, which extends therefrom to the pump F. A

My hydraulic elevator is operated as follows, referring to Fig. 2: Thereturn being into and through the pipe B, passing the re- Y turn-bendand up through the removable nozzle into the elevator-pipe withconsiderable velocity, carrying with it water and the debris heldtherein, the saine being discharged at the discharging end of theelevator-pipe on the scow G, whence it is carried by troughs orotherwise to any desirable location. It will be manifest that theelevator-pipe A being straight and of a uniform width from its suctionto its discharge end and there being no obstacle therein to prevent therapid passage therethrough of any hard substance that may get intothepipe, it will afford simple and convenient means without complicationor obstruction to elevate and transfer sand, gravel, and othersubstances that may be mixed with water from one place to another, as isusually required in dredging. The injector branch is properly positionedabove the elevator-pipe and discharges downwardly thereinto, so that anysubstance entering the elevator-pipe may pass upward along the bottom ofthe pipe, as is shown in proper position in Fig. 2.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-

l. In a dredging apparatus, the combination with an elevator-pipe, and aY branch, of a removable injector-nozzle iitted to and filling one ofthe sections of the Y branch whereby the discharge therethrough isequivalent to the full capacity of said section.

2. The combination with an elevator-pipe, of a Y branch, a removableinjector-nozzle in one section thereof, a U-shaped pipe secured to the Ybranch and holding the nozzle in XCO :o the Y branch Without the bore ofthe main piace therein, a pump, and apipeleading from the latter to theU-shaped pipe.

3. The combination with a suction -pipe made in three sections, theintermediate section Y-shaped, and one branch thereof forming acontinuation of the other two sections, the bore of the entire pipe thusconstructed being unobstructed from one end to the other, of a pipedischarging into the other branch of section whereby to create suctionin the suction-pipe Without in any wise forming an obstruction therein.

In Witness that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed my namethis 9th day of February, 1903.

BENTON FLOOD.

Witnesses:

HENRY T. HAZARD,

G. E. HARPHAM.

